Sunday, January 12, 2014

Sunday Snack

Today I thought I would share one of my favorite cheap and easy snack recipes that I found on Pinterest. Those of you that know me know that I am a bit cooking challenged so this is the perfect little snack that packs a punch and impresses without being too hard to execute. 

I first found this recipe through Pinterest on cubcakeproject.com's blog - 

Ingredients

  • 1 can (14 oz) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon or your spice(s) of choice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  1. Instructions
  2. Place chickpeas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat.
  1. Bake at 450 F for 30 minutes. (You didn't miss anything here. You don't oil or season them until after they are done. In fact, for an extra healthy treat, try them when they get out of the oven before even adding the oil. They are enjoyable all on their own.)
  1. Transfer chickpeas to a bowl and mix thoroughly with the rest of the ingredients.
  1. Enjoy hot, or bring to room temperature and store in an air-tight container. Like popped corn, the chickpeas are never as good the next day. However, they are still quite enjoyable 3-4 days after making them.

They make the perfect crunchy snack and you can really season them with whatever your little heart desires. Not at our house though...we (read: I. The Mister is a wonderful cook) stick to recipes here. Any sort of creativity with recipes usually spells a burnt disaster! Enjoy!




Saturday, January 11, 2014

Musings


Operation : #PaintItBlack has officially been started! I am so excited to see how this wall will look after all is dried and hung!


I mentioned all white faux deer antlers the other day in my blog about said black wall. I got this piece on sale at Tarjay. I think I will probably keep them silver.



This snack last night was so heavenly! I used two Swiss Miss packages, of course!

Friday, January 10, 2014

Ballin' Out - {Disney Style}

The last time The Mister and I hung out with all of our friends, I (after a few Grey Goose dirty martinis) tried to get everyone on what I like to call "The Disney Train."  I have this idea in my mind that in the very, very far away distant future all of our friends and all of our kids are going to go on this huge Disney trip (with a few paid babysitters) and have a grand ol' time. Sometimes I am met with looks of excitement and sometimes I am met with looks of confusion and dismay. Don't worry as obsessed with Disney as I am, I am used to the latter. 

Anywho, during my "Disney Train Campaign," I mentioned the fact that while on this big imaginary Disney trip it is possible to stay as a group in one huge mansion for a relatively cheap price. And it's true, house rentals in the Orlando area are not only easy to come by, they are actually really "cheap" considering how much an actual Disney vacation is and considering how big and luxurious the houses are you can rent for the week.

The best website to find any Orlando vacation rental is www.allstarvacationhomes.com. Here, you can find vacation homes as small as a 2 bedroom that sleeps 4 or as big as 10 bedroom mansions that sleep up to 24. Now, of course these huge mansions will run you anywhere from $7,000-$12,000 a week. But splitting that between a large number of people makes it so it is pretty much the price (per family) that you would be paying for a hotel room for the week anyways. And the benefit of renting the home is that it includes many more amenities than a hotel would....& you get to feel like a Disney baller for the week. #priceless

Okay, enough with the wall of words..let's get into the fun stuff--The beautiful houses! - 

All Images Via AllStarVacationHomes.com






All Images Via AllStarVacationHomes.com

Per All Star Vacation Homes website

"This beautiful vacation rental is located in the Homestead area of the upscale Reunion® Resort community and overlooking the 8th hole of The Independence™ golf course by Tom Watson, this superb 7-bedroom estate vacation home features 5,226 square feet of the ultimate in vacation luxury - including 4 king masters, HDTVs and Blu-ray players in all bedrooms, a private pool with spillover spa and a breathtaking golf course view! The home also features a home theater with 110" 1080p projector, formal and casual dining areas and a fully equipped eat-in kitchen. There’s also a game area with pool table and a 42" LCD TV, a 2nd floor patio balcony, a computer with complimentary high-speed and Wi-Fi Internet access and so much more!"

The price for something like this is going to be $7,942.77 for the week. Split between 16 people (which is the maximum for this house) is $492 per person or $992 per couple. IMO this is Orlando's best kept secret. If you are traveling with a huge group (and can stand each other in the same house for a week) Then this is your best bet at luxury living. And this particular home is one of the smaller options you have.

Disney World is not an easy place for a group vacation. There is a lot to do and a lot to see so staying in a large group within the parks for the day is nearly impossible. The best way to do a group vacation to 'The World is to stay in a house like this and meet for meals and/or shows/events. 

Can you tell that me and my cat named Minnie Mouse have thought of this before?! :) 

#ChronicDisneyVacationPlanner °0°




Thursday, January 9, 2014

Throw Back Thursday

For this edition of #tbt I thought I would throw it back to the blog post I wrote in 2011 in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene. We lost power for 5 days..it was definitely an experience to say the least.

A letter from the dark.

This is written from my iPhone copied off of a handwritten letter...(on scrap book paper, with a pink sharpie)

Dear outside world,

I am writing by "maglight" (heavy duty flash light) right now...yes, literally writing...I am going on my 38th hour of no power...Since Irene decided to rip through the streets of Edgewood and other parts of RI, I have been without electricity.

My electric stove won't go on, I have no hot water and my electronics are dying..

I have finally realized I am useless without electronics...a frizzed haired, wine drinking, trying to bring my cell phone charger to Walgreens, MESS..

So, all...3 of my followers at the moment...please save me a seat on the other side of this apocalypse...I will see you by Saturday at the latest (or so says the guy in the hard hat outside).

Sincerely,
It's hard to type a blog on an iPhone

#tbt

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Product Junkie

Before I started watching YouTube videos, my product purchases were out of control. You know that feeling...Of having to have something because you saw it in a magazine or on a commercial and then when you got home, it just wasn't all it was cracked up to be. UGH..That is the worse.

Luckily I have since discovered beauty gurus on YouTube and my days of randomly purchasing products are over. Not only do I watch make up tutorials for how to do my make up, but they are goldmines for the latest and greatest products. I now go into the drugstore or Sephora or Ulta with a specific product in mind and I usually beeline right for what I need and then get right in line to pay. If I don't do that, my eyes start wandering and I become very overwhelmed. 

So, I thought I would share a two of my favorite YouTube Beauty Gurus and a few of my favorite products.

YouTube - 

Carli Bybel - Most of what I find appealing on Carli's channel is her use of drug store products. When she first started doing tutorials she pretty much exclusively used products on the cheaper end of things. I can spend hours in CVS, so that's what most attracted me to her. She is also very approachable on camera. (I know that sounds weird, but it's true).

Jaclyn Hill - Jaclyn is a former MAC make up artist. That right there should make you run, not walk to her channel. MAC make up artists are some of the most educated in the beauty biz. Every tutorial she does, I feel like I should be paying for the information I learn. Her contouring video is one of the best I have ever seen.

Products - 


I am obsessed with any and all Smashbox primers. I use the regular white primer for days that I am not red and the salmon (bottom left) colored one when my redness is out of control. 



Another (cheaper) primer I really like is the L'OREAL Magic Lumi Light Infusing Primer. This is perfect for summer time or for winter days when you just need some extra glow to your skin.



For summer time my favorite foundation to use is a Garnier BB cream. Even though this obviously not considered a "foundation," the lightness and coverage is unbeatable. And if you are using the proper color correcting primer for your skin you usually don't need a full coverage foundation. Unless, of course, that is the look you are going for.



For winter time or if I know I am going to be photographed, I use more of a full coverage foundation. And for that I use Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Foundation. I have found that this gives me an airbrushed effect that a MAC foundation would give, but half the price. Plus since it's a Neutrogena product, I feel as though it is still breathable and good for your skin.


Regardless of what type of foundation you use, the most important thing (IMO) is how you apply your products. I always use my stippling brush to apply the primer first and then either the foundation or the BB cream. I think it just gives your face a more even texture than a sponge or your fingers would. I use the Sephora #44 stippling brush.  


A new favorite of mine is MAC's Prep and Prime Highlighter.  I use mine as a concealer/highlighter hybrid when I am doing a heavy highlight and contour look.


And last but not least one of my absolute all time FAVORITE products is Urban Decay's "Chill" Make Up Setting Spray. This is the best product I have ever used...ever! Your make up will stay on for DAYS with this liquid gold.
***Fine Print - Don't actually leave your make up on for days..always always always remove before bed! :)

Are you still there? I will stop for now with the wall of words. Next month I will definitely do another product post. 

What are some of your favorites?

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

2014 Projects

As The Mister knows, I have many projects up my sleeve for 2014. How many are actually going to get done is yet to be seen. But, one thing is for sure - our living room wall is in desperate need of a face lift.


It's the first thing that people see when they walk into our apartment and it's just so...blah. Our wedding canvases are great, but I feel like it needs just a little more sparkle. Not literally though because The Mister isn't a huge fan of glitter. :)

So, my idea is to..wait for it...paint the wall black! Allen + Roth "Tuxedo Tie" to be exact. It should come as no surprise to those who know me as I literally paint everything in my life either black or white. 

I am thinking black wall with all white accessories. #swoon I am probably going to leave the canvases and build around them for a gallery wall. I am also toying with the idea of all white faux deer antlers. I am not sure how many, but obviously more then one is always better!

We should be getting the paint in the next few weeks. I can't wait to get started, I think it is really going to give it a much needed boost. 

New Year, New Wall! 

#decor

Monday, January 6, 2014

Disney Obsessed.




6 days into the New Year and I am already blogging about Disney! If you have hung out around this blog before or are friends with me on Facebook you already know that my obsession with all things Disney is kind of out of control. I research and hang out on fan sites and watch YouTube videos and read newsletters..I assure you (and The Mister) though, there are many people out there like me. I like to know everything I can because I like to be the person that people come to for Disney advice. Per usual with any Disney fan, they want to know more than the next. No one explains this better than one of my favorite Disney YouTubers - Sarah Snitch (her boyfriend is a real life Disney Prince #swoon).


Simply due to geography, I am a Walt Disney World person. I know there are big differences between Disneyland and WDW. One day I would like to visit the west coast and see DL, but for now I am busy planning my next WDW trip that doesn't even exist yet. The Mister knows all about my planning trips to Disney that don't exist. :)

My Disney obsession started at a child. I thought (knew) I was a Disney Princess. I have been to WDW 4 times in my life and cry every time we have to head home. I especially got into Disney when I was pregnant with Cy as we had already decided that we were taking a trip there in October 2013 (I was pregnant from November 2011-August 2012).  With all of that being said, if anyone needs help planning their trip to WDW please let me know as I could probably plan one in my sleep. And if it is your first time planning/going, it can be a pretty daunting task.



Since I don't have any real trips to plan, I turn to YouTube and Disney websites for my fix. Here are some of my favorites --




Sarah Snitch - Sarah is a former cast member and her channel(s) are filled with fun Disney stuff to binge watch on a daily basis!

One of these days I will do a write up of our recent Walt Disney World trip with some tips and tricks that I learned during the planning and trip process!



I also like to read a lot of Disney related books. Some are travel guides and some are behind the scenes books written by former cast members or Disney addicts. --

MouseJunkies 1&2


Stay tuned for much more Disney in the coming year!

#WDW